Board of Directors

MTNA directors and officers are elected by the membership for two-year terms; directors are elected in even-numbered years, officers are elected in the odd-numbered years. There is one director for each of MTNA's seven divisions. To learn more about your MTNA officers, click their photo.

Immediate Past President

Executive Director & CEO

Directors

Christine Geiser Steiner, NCTM, of Wooster, Ohio, has a degree in music education from Heidelberg University and is an independent teacher of piano and theory. Steiner is past president of Ohio MTA and served MTNA as East Central Division certification commissioner, and junior and senior high competitions coordinator. She holds Level III certification from the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association and is also certified by the American Guild of Organists. Steiner has been a member of MTNA her entire career. She held many local, district and state positions in Ohio MTA. She is passionate about collaborative music making and served many years as a conductor for the All-Ohio Piano Ensemble.

Ginger Yang Hwalek, NCTM, of Bangor, Maine, has taught applied piano, class piano and music history, at the University of Maine for the past 18 years. She also teaches 12 students at her home studio. Hwalek holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, a master’s degree from Wichita State University and a doctorate degree from Northwestern University. She was previously the director of Maine Summer Youth Music held on the campus of the University of Maine. Hwalek has served MTNA as Eastern Division president, member of the Board of Directors and Senior Performance Competitions coordinator. She was named 2006 MTNA Teacher of the Year.

Christopher Hahn, NCTM, is a professor of piano and piano pedagogy at the University of Montana. With Hahn as their advisor, the UM Keyboard Society received the 2010 and 2016 Collegiate Chapter of the Year Award. Hahn has served MTNA at all levels and in many capacities, including state president and as a member of national committees. He is in demand as a performer, teacher, adjudicator and clinician.

Sherry Penkert Frush, NCTM, is an independent music teacher, collaborative pianist and adjudicator. Frush joined MTNA in 1970, became certified in 1975 and earned Permanent Professional Certification in 1995. She has served in numerous local, state and national positions and as Texas MTA president. Frush holds degrees in piano performance and music education. She was named an MTNA Fellow (2013) and Teacher of the Year for Texas (2006) and Abilene (1988, 2004).

Kevin Chance, NCTM, is assistant professor at the University of Alabama. He holds a DMA degree in piano performance from the Eastman School of Music, and bachelor's degree from Birmingham-Southern College and a master's degrees from Louisiana State University. Chance has served as president, vice president, immediate past president and certification chair for the Alabama MTA. For Southern Division, he has served as Senior Competitions coordinator and is the current Southern Division Competitions chair.

Sue Field was born in London and left the United Kingdom with her husband Michael in 1982, after attending Lady Spencer College in Oxford. She majored in piano performance and voice. In the United States, Field sang with Opera Colorado and the San Diego Opera and has worked for 25 years as a vocal soloist, pianist/organist and music director. She established her voice/piano teaching studio in 1990. Field was CAPMT president from 2010–2014 and was vice president/programs for San Francisco NATS. She is a member of ACDA.

Beth Gigante Klingenstein, NCTM, author of The Independent Piano Teacher’s Studio Handbook, formerly maintained an independent studio, taught at Valley City State University, and is currently the executive director of the North Dakota Council on the Arts.